Day 09: Proceed with Caution

“We need to do the humane thing and shoot her already!” Josh replied. Sumiko had been placed in one of the cages in Cell Block C awaiting the group’s determination about her.

“Wait,” Nicole yelled. “She hasn’t shown any signs of infection and the bite appears to be days if not weeks old.”

“And? Last I checked, you didn’t have a medical degree and we all know this virus affects everyone differently,” Josh continued. “We can’t take the chance she’ll infect any of us here.”

“I think we should wait,” James chimed in. “Nicole is right. The girl hasn’t shown any signs she’s sick. For all we know it could have been a dog bite or something.”

Just then, the front door opened and the group was joined by Natalie, Portia, JC and Matthew who was carrying an unconscious Aisha. “What happened to Aisha?” Jeremiah asked, rushing forward. 

“We had an accident,” Portia replied solemnly without looking up.

“Well is she ok?” he continued, watching as Matthew carried her off toward the infirmary with Natalie in tow.

“We don’t know yet, Miah. Natalie is going to look her over and we’ll know more from there. Don’t worry ok? She’s a tough girl. She’ll be fine,” JC replied, hoping to calm the young man. “What’s going on here?” he asked, noticing the tension in the air.

“We found someone in our truck,” Katrina said, as she hobbled over to a chair.

“What do you mean you found someone in the truck? Are they here? Are they hostile?” Matthew asked, hearing the tail end of the conversation.

“We don’t really know. She’s a young girl. Maybe 17. Japanese. Says she became stranded here and separated from her parents when the outbreak occurred,” Nicole said, filling the others in on what they’d learned so far. 

“She’s also been bitten,” Josh added.

“What? Where is she?” Matthew asked. “Why hasn’t she been taken care of? We can’t let her infect anyone else.” Josh threw his hands up in agreement.

“See that’s the thing,” Nicole started. “Her bit is old and she’s not sick. We didn’t want to just take her out without hearing her side of the story. We should figure out what happened first. If she really was bitten then why wasn’t she turned? How is she different than anyone else?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Josh again said. “She’s dangerous and the longer we stand here arguing about it, the greater the risk of her getting out and harming us becomes. We don’t know her or where she came from and we don’t need to know. The facts remain. She’s bitten. She dies.”

“No,” Matthew said. “Nicole is right. We need more information.”

“What? This is crazy!” Josh exclaimed.

“What if there’s a cure or something, Josh? A way to protect ourselves against whatever has infected everyone else? This girl might be the key to stopping it all or maybe shedding some light on how we can keep ourselves safe. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to explore that possibility.”

“Fine,” Josh sighed and shook his head. There was no winning the argument and continuing to state his opinion was futile. “You guys do what you want but when you get infected by the Trojan horse, don’t come crying to me.” He stalked off in the direction of his room, leaving the others to handle the fate of their new friend.

“Where is she?” Matthew asked.

“Cellblock C,” James replied.

“JC, can you and Theresa go and give Natalie a hand in the infirmary, please? James, Katrina, Nicole Sophia, and I will go and have a chat with…”

“Sumiko,” Theresa said. 

“Right.”

Sumiko sighed as she was once again tied down to a chair in the center of the day room. “Why don’t we start with your full name?” Matthew began.

“Fujikawa Sumiko,” Sumiko responded.

“And where did you come from? Why did you jump into our truck” he continued.

“I was here on vacation with my parents. I’d just been accepted to Oxford and as a gift, my parents brought me to America to visit the sites on my traveler’s list; places I’d always wanted to see. But something happened. While we were in New York, one of the passengers on our ferry became ill and bit someone.”

“I saw that video!” Nicole said. “Before it was taken down from YouTube!”

“We were taken back to the shore and examined by a physician before being released. Our trip was cut short and we started home with a layover here but…the infection had already spread and the airport was quickly overrun. Everything was chaos. After my parents and I became separated, I found myself alone. I didn’t know anyone here or where I could go for help. I’ve been by myself ever since. Doing whatever I could to survive.” Sumiko said.

“How long ago were you bitten?” Matthew asked, motioning toward the scar on her lower arm.

“I’d gone into a convenience store to try and find some water but, there were three of those dead things in there. I was able to bring down two of them but the third caught me by surprise and before I could hit him, he grabbed my arm and bit me. I managed to escape and get back to my hiding place and care for it,” Sumiko explained. “That was two weeks ago.”

“Are you telling us you were bitten two weeks ago and not turned?” Matthew asked in surprise. “Have you shown any signs of illness? Been sick at all or have some weird symptoms?”

“No,” she replied. “It was just a bite that’s healed over time.”

“How is that possible?” Katrina chimed in.

“I don’t know,” Sumiko said. “This one was two weeks ago, however, the first time I was bitten was on the ferry in New York…three years ago.”

<----Previous -- Continue---->

Continue Reading: "Day 09: Proceed with Caution"

Day 05: Stowaway

Blood splattered her skin and soaked her clothing. A gash ripped through her thigh. James fired. Josh fired and Katrina jumped for cover. A severed arm fell to the ground beside her. Its rotted fingers twitched as if trying to hold on to what little life remained. Nicole grabbed Katrina and pulled her to her feet as more zombies broke through the tree line behind them.

Together, they made a break toward the vehicles as Sophia and Josh laid down cover fire. “Where are they coming from?” Sophia shouted over the shooting.

“I don’t know but, we can’t stay here much longer. James, get over here!” Josh called as he rounded the front of his vehicle preparing for a getaway.

The groups piled into their trucks and sped from the area. “Are we whole?” James asked, looking over at Nicole. She was staring out of her window looking back at the others.

Continue Reading: "Day 05: Stowaway"

Day 01: Whole New World

Two years later…

James studied the tracks the thief had left: short, widely-spaced prints pressed deep into the damp earth; he was getting closer. Reaching down to his side, he unbuttoned his sheath, preparing himself for what lurked around the corner. With a nod towards Nicole, she broke off and started around the other side of the building. As he waited for her to get into position, his eyes fell on a separate set of prints. These were different; deep toe-to-heel impressions. This person was running. The thief had a partner. 

Continue Reading: "Day 01: Whole New World"

Day 31: What Now?

Group: Natalie, David, Amélia, Mike, Edward, Nicole, Josh, Matthew, Liz, Nina, Lucky, Eddie, Elise, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Troy, Aisha, Jeremiah, Katrina, Jake, JC
Location: BioCore Safe Zone

“They’re walking into their deaths. We need to stop them!” Elise exclaimed, but Natalie was already running forward.

“MATT!” she shouted, frantically waving her arms as she called his name, “MATT!!” It wasn’t his name that made him freeze, it was the sound of her voice. A voice he thought he’d never hear again.

Matthew glanced towards the cluster of trees. She appeared through the forest, arms outstretched and a smile on her face. Tossing Dominic his weapon, he rushed forward. They met halfway, his arms instantly enclosing her in a warm hug as she bounded into him. “I can’t believe it’s you,” he whispered against her ear before their lips met. He could feel the moisture on her cheeks as her hands slipped around his neck.

Continue Reading: "Day 31: What Now?"

Day 28: Bereavement

Group 4: Matthew, Josh, Liz, Jeremiah, Edward, Nicole, Jake, JC, Nina, Lucky, Mike, Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha
Location: Barn/Farmhouse

Edward scratched at the bandage on his arm. That damn mongrel really did a number on him and now his skin felt like it was on fire. He eyed the animal as it trotted along beside Nina, playfully nudging her arm making her rub her head. It was bad enough he was forced to wear a dead man’s clothes but now he had to deal with that mutt; and he hated dogs. Five minutes along with that animal and he’d send it to doggy heaven where it belonged. Sensing the man’s eyes on her, Lucky looked back with a happy expression as the group continued down the road.

“It’s just up ahead,” Matthew said. The group had been walking for nearly an hour, heading to the rendezvous. Upon arrival, they could see no one was waiting, but it appeared someone had been here recently. Tire tracks, two distinct treads, were imprinted in the soft dirt. One appeared to belong to a large vehicle of some kind while the other, possibly a truck. The wide wheel base gave Matthew the impression that it could have been one of the pickups from the compound.

Continue Reading: "Day 28: Bereavement"

Day 26: Overkill

Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha
Location: Police Station

“You sure this will work?” Dominic asked, watching Troy prepare himself to crawl through the opened vent above them.

“I’m sure we have no other choice,” he replied, checking the load on his weapon.

“The vents won’t get you downstairs,” Mathew said.

“I know, but with any luck, it’ll get me some place where we can maybe make a decent stand, or even an escape,” Troy replied.

“Remember, five minutes. If you’re not back by then, we’ll assume you’re gone,” Dominic said.

“And then what?”

Continue Reading: "Day 26: Overkill"

Day 22: Toxic Rain

Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha
Location: Police Station

“Are either of you hurt? Did everyone get out?” Katrina asked as Ryan slammed the door shut behind them.

“Aisha, throw me that chair,” he said before shoving the back beneath the handle, securing them all inside. “Alright, first thing’s first, how much ammo do you have?” he asked of Katrina who was still having a mini-meltdown near the back of the room.

“Ammo? How could that be your first concern? Our friends are missing and we have no idea if any of them have been hurt. And now there is a hallway full of zombies out there and the only thing separating us from them is a tiny metal chair!”

“Exactly! And if they get in here, I’d like to know we’d at least have a fighting chance. Focus, Katrina, ammo, how much?” Ryan repeated, cutting through the shit.

“I think…half a clip,” Katrina said. Removing her weapon, she checked the load and nodded to confirm her answer. Down to eight bullets. There was at least twice that amount of undead waiting outside the door.

Panic overwhelmed Aisha as she gazed down at hands covered in blood and trembling. She was tired but she couldn’t sleep. Didn’t want to. The images played out on the back of her eyelids were unpleasant enough without having to recount them over and over. This had been her hell since that night. And it all started with her parents. That night on the bridge and every night since. She had been trying to cope with the death. The loss. The never-ending loneliness and the constant fighting.

She’d watched as the Joe Mason Bridge collapsed. Stood by helplessly as hundreds of people trying to drive out of town were sucked into the giant pit the military had blown into the ground. They claimed they were there to help, but Aisha saw it much differently. She and her parents were on their way out of town to one of many “safe zones” the military had set up. But once they arrived, they realized it was anything but safe.

They had constructed a fence and everyone was forced into a containment area until they were given clearance to proceed inside; no infection detected. Aisha made it, her parents were not so lucky. Dozens of cars flooded the bridge. People were jumping out of them, rushing the gates, all running from the undead and trying to get into the walls; to safety. The safe zone was quickly overrun with the living and the others.

Given the go ahead to “take control” the military opened fire. Aisha watched as innocent people were gunned down by those sworn to serve and protect. Men, women and children were murdered in cold blood, dying beside the undead only ten feet away from the gates.

Her dad held her mom. She watched in horror with just a fence between them as their bodies were riddled with bullets and left on the street like roadkill. The last thing she remembered was the sound of the rocket hitting the bridge and exploding one of the main supports. Hundreds of people were dead and she was carted off by the U.S. Government.

“We’re all going to die in here, aren’t we?” Aisha whimpered, her voice shaking just as bad as the rest of her.

“Stop!” Katrina said. “Stop that right now. Ryan’s right. We need to focus. We need to keep our eyes ahead. Stay calm. We can get through this. We’ll be fine.” She repeated the words as though she was trying to convince herself. “We’ll be fine.”

“Get that table over here,” Dominic instructed, keeping the double doors sealed shut as he felt the force of the zombies pushing against it. “Hurry it up!” Mathew and Troy shoved more objects in front of the door, barring themselves inside from the monsters trying to get in.

“Did you see which way the others went?” Mathew asked, finally able to take a breath.

“No. There were too many. We’re lucky to have even made it inside,” Troy replied.

“Luck…” Dominic scoffed. “It’ll be luck if we survive the night. We never should have come up here. I led us here; I did this. And now…”

“Enough!” Troy shouted, cutting off Dominic’s sentence. “We don’t have time for this. We need to figure out a plan.” Dominic was tired. He could see it in his face, but he was tired too. And he was also determined to not let today be his last day on earth.

“Alright, Troy, what do you suggest?” Mathew asked, slumping down into a chair beside him.

Continue----> (Clicking this continues the story in order. If you would like to move to the next part of this group’s story. Click the # below.)
#7---->
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The polls are now open. Vote for your chance to control the action! Remember, you can add your own choice to the plot through the comments section or the poll below. Polls close at 12 noon EST tomorrow and reopen at 8 pm EST.

Continue Reading: "Day 22: Toxic Rain"

Day 18: Detached

Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha
Location: Police Station

Aisha waited out in the hallway as Katrina entered the office. The foul odor of death permeated the room, seeping into the walls. She thought she would have been used to it by now, but it still caused a reaction in the pit of her stomach. Inhaling a deep breath, and releasing it slowly through her mouth, she advanced, carefully looking over the partitions and in the corners for any surprises.

Continue Reading: "Day 18: Detached"

Day 14: Lying in Wait

Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha
Location: Police Station

Aisha stood there, palms sweating, heart pounding, watching Ryan and Troy struggling to hold back the mounting horde. Dominic and the others had pushed tables in front of the doors to relieve some of the strain, but it was obvious the exertion was taking a physical toll. Their faces contorted in pain as the monsters on the other side threw their rotting bodies against the door again and again.

“This isn’t going to hold for very long!” Troy said, backing up a little as Mathew placed a heavy filing cabinet in front of the growing barricade. “We need to find another way!”

“We need to take some out,” Ryan suggested. “Loosen the tension.”

“Ryan’s right,” Katrina agreed. “Dom, remember how we took out the door at the convenience store? It’s the same concept. We need to get them back. Line bodies at the front to keep the others from getting close.”

“We had guns at the store, Kat. Molotov cocktails and enough ammo to keep us sustained. All of our stuff is outside.”

“Then we get it!” she said, stepping away from the door. “I didn’t fight this hard against those monsters out there only to starve to death now or to let them corner me until they eventually break in and rip us apart!”

“She’s right. And if what Aisha said is true, there’s still more heading this way,” Mat added. “We need to get to those trucks before that happens.”

“Fine,” Dominic sighed. He knew they were both right. He also knew no one would be up to the task. With limited ammo and a lot of heavy equipment to get into the building it was a dangerous gambit. “Mat and I will go. We can keep Ryan and Troy here at the door, make sure they don’t break through the barricade before we get back. Kat, you and Aisha look for more stuff to keep this area protected. If you find some way of boarding it up, even better.”

Katrina nodded and led Aisha from the room. Grabbing a handgun from the duffel bag she’d brought inside, she gestured for the teen to stay behind her but follow close. They moved back along the stairs and towards the main office. Pushing against a closed door, Katrina tried desperately to pry it open but to no avail. The door wasn’t locked, but something was blocking it.

The smell of blood and viscera drifted through the metal causing them both to suppress their gag reflexes. Aisha’s stomach lurched and Katrina could tell she would be sick if she continued behind her. Motioning for her to remain put, Katrina continued forward, searching for another way inside. Gazing over the partition, she quickly located the source of the foul stench; a woman, likely a desk sergeant from the way she was dressed, was lying against the door. The lower half of her body was partially disintegrated and rats were feeding off of her rotting flesh.

At first she was set to ignore it and keep searching the rest of the building for more material, but something caught her eye. Something glinted beside the woman’s left hand that, if they were lucky, would be their answer to everything.

Dominic scanned the street outside, searching for signs of the undead. Nothing. Nothing except for the warm glow of the sun splashing its rays across the pavement, the road, highlighting the destruction that took place over night. Beaming over the smashed and abandoned cars and the bodies rotting out in the heat. His breathing was short and shallow, fast like his heartbeat which pulsed powerfully in his ears as he prepared himself for what he had to do. Mat and the others would be safe inside. He, on the other hand, would be faced with the possibility of never seeing another sunrise.

Barely able to breathe, he clutched the handle to the door, threatening to tear it from the frame. “You ready for this?” Mat asked, situating himself inside the stairwell. He was positioned in such a way to systematically dismantle any threat that would approach Dominic while leaving him room to get in and out of the building.

“No. But that doesn’t matter at this point. It has to be done. You better be good with that thing. If something gets me, I’m coming back to personally chew a hole in your ass.”

“I got your six, Dominic, don’t worry about that.”

Dominic bit his tongue. He wasn’t about to tell the man what he thought of him while he had to count on him to keep him alive. And thanks to Troy’s curiosity they were stuck together through this mess. It was time they learned whether or not their new friends could be trusted. With a deep breath, he pulled the door open and started to creep out into the parking lot, listening carefully for any unwelcomed intruders. By the time he reached the military transport, his heart was beating so hard he could feel his pulse in every part of his body. Stepping near the back, he took in three deep breaths, preparing himself for the work ahead.

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*Author’s note: You may have noticed the lack of pictures. Yep. I was betting on you being in a sugar coma by this time of night (or other vice) so you wouldn’t, BUT, it’s not Halloween yet. Well, there’s a great explanation for this. And I’d tell you but what fun would that be? Ok, ok. The game was not cooperating, alright? Stop looking at me like that. I tried. I did. And like previous nights I knew it would run late (yep, that’s why 8 starting time is more like 10). I think there is a gremlin inside my machine and it’s causing all sorts of trouble. It takes a full hour to load my game. And then most times it freezes on startup and well…we get 10pm EST post nights. Anyway, just want to let you know why things have been slow on my end and apologize. It sucks. But I am seeing this thing through, like always. Thanks for your understanding!*

Continue----> (Clicking this continues the story in order. If you would like to move to the next part of this group’s story. Click the # below.)

#5---->

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The polls are now open. Vote for your chance to control the action! Remember, you can add your own choice to the plot through the comments section or the poll below. Polls close at 12 noon EST tomorrow and reopen at 8 pm EST.

Continue Reading: "Day 14: Lying in Wait"

Day 10: Nowhere to Run

Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha
Location: Police Station

Ryan reached the end of the parking lot first with Troy right behind him. Looking around, nothing seemed out of place. For the moment, the sound had stopped. Ryan glanced back at Troy as if to say “told you so” and began loading more rounds into his weapon. “Come on let’s…” the last of Troy’s words were swallowed as the thumping sound returned, this time louder and closer.

“The trunk,” Ryan nodded, motioning towards the early model sedan parked midways down the lot. “I think someone’s inside. Take a look, I’ll cover you.”

Continue Reading: "Day 10: Nowhere to Run"

Day 06: A Place to Rest

Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha
Location: Police Station

“We’re here,” Dominic announced as he pulled the truck into an available spot in front of the Cabot Creek Police Department. Glancing in the rearview mirror he watched as their new friends found a spot nearby.

“You sure about this?” Katrina asked, watching the large transport vehicle navigate into the parking spot.

“No. Which is exactly why we need to remain on guard at all times,” Dominic said, grabbing his weapon from the center console before hopping out.

“This the place?” Mat asked, stepping around the truck as he took in the large, vacant building. “Doesn’t seem like anyone’s home.”

“As we may have mentioned before,” Katrina snapped. “Nothing and no one is around besides rotting corpses. Whatever news report brought you here was a lie.”

Continue Reading: "Day 06: A Place to Rest"

Day 02: Bound by Night

Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha
Location: Police Station

Dominic drove, passing over the dry dirt of the desert towards the heavily used trail they’d trekked on numerous occasions before. Katrina kept his company while Troy snored in the backseat. They’d been driving for nearly an hour, stopping only once to refuel the truck before continuing on to their destination. For most of the trip the scenery was pretty peaceful, aside from the occasional zombie, they hadn’t encountered anything rather unusual. Still, Katrina remained on guard just to be sure.

Continue Reading: "Day 02: Bound by Night"

Day 01: Enemy at the Gate

The lights could be seen from the highway. At night, the place lit up like the Rockefeller Center at Christmas. For the last two weeks, he’d been watching and planning. He’d gotten to know the ins and outs of the place rather well and everyone was set in a routine. He shut the walkie-talkie off and retrieved his binoculars from his bag. Adjusting the focus, he gave a look out over the compound, watching as his unknowing prey went about their day.

In three minutes, the two he’d come to know as ‘Spirited Redhead’ and ‘Annoying Jock’ would be making their patrol. They’d pat along the outer edge of the gate, keeping their backs to one another. When they reached the rear of the mountain path they would split up, searching opposite ends of the forest. It would take less than five minutes to make the trek around the compound before they called it and headed back inside.

Continue Reading: "Day 01: Enemy at the Gate"

Day 31: Aftermath

**Warning: Picture heavy. Um...oh and it’s long. (Info dump?)**

It was the gunshots—not the nightmare—that woke her.

Veronica had slept long past it, though not without considerable effort. Her sheets were in a ball around her feet, well below the heavy comforter, and Dominic’s pillow was between her thighs. Raising her head, she inspected the room she was in, barely blinking at the sound of more gunfire.

Continue Reading: "Day 31: Aftermath"

Day 30: No Return

“Hey has anyone seen Fadil?” Liz asked, glancing around the room. Richard screamed and the sound of falling objects exploded from the back room.

“Shit,” Matthew cussed and quickly rushed to the stock room. The door wouldn’t budge. Something had fallen and was blocking it shut. “Give me a hand here,” he said. Josh and Dominic stepped forward and together, the three men forced the door open.

Continue Reading: "Day 30: No Return"

Day 29: Loose Ends

“Looks like we’re not the only ones under attacked,” Troy said, motioning towards the bodies. “This place got wrecked!”

Matthew continued up the stairs, stepping over blood and detached limbs. “Hey! Is there anybody in there? Let us in,” he shouted, banging the shutters fiercely, hoping to get the attention of someone inside.

An odd humming sound was coming from behind them and Natalie glanced back over her shoulder. At least two dozen zombies were heading their way, groaning and hissing as they gathered closer. “Oh my god, they’re coming.”

“Open the door!” Matthew shouted again with Troy and Natalie joining in. The metal began to shake and pretty soon the three of them were staring blankly at a large group of people inside the store. Moving Natalie into the door first, Matthew turned and fired off a couple rounds at the incoming group. Three zombies fell before he jumped backwards inside the store and watched the shutters fall into place. “Thank you,” he said, as JC helped him stand. “The world’s gone to shit. It’s a madhouse out there.”

Continue Reading: "Day 29: Loose Ends"

Day 27: Friendly Fire

“Oh my god! Someone just crashed into the car where Dom is hiding!” Veronica shouted. Soon after, something that sounded like firecrackers rattled off outside and she quickly stepped away from the door. “And now someone’s shooting!”

“Shooting? Shooting what?” JC carefully stepped closer and peered out. “I see a truck…someone’s pulling into the station.”

“Who’s shooting?” Jeremiah asked.

“I don’t know. There are two…three people with guns; two guys and a girl and another girl is carrying a few bags with her. Whoa, wait…wait a second, they see Dom! They’re getting to Dom!”

Continue Reading: "Day 27: Friendly Fire"

Day 25: Cliffhanger

“Be careful,” Katrina said as Jake slowly opened the door at the end of the hall. He stepped through and immediately gagged on the stale air as it hit him like a ton of bricks.

“Holy crap,” he wheezed. “What the hell is that?”

“Death,” Elise whispered. “Just like Georgia’s greenhouse.”

Josh pushed forward and Katrina followed after him with Elise trailing behind, being careful and watching every step she took. “It’s so dark in here,” she said as they barely made it inside the shadowy tunnel.

“Yeah it is. We should have probably grabbed a light or something before coming in here.”

“Wait, try this.” Jake patted his jeans pocket before revealing a book of matches.

Continue Reading: "Day 25: Cliffhanger"

Day 21: Trail of Blood

“Josh and I will head back down and…”

“Wait, no, stop right there,” Katrina interrupted Jake before he completed his sentence. “It’s dark, it’s scary and there’s no telling what caused the lights to go out. Like Elise said, these places are made to keep running. You are NOT about to leave the two of us up here alone. Weapons or not you can forget that.”

“Ok…” Jake said through gritted teeth. “Ladies, would you like to accompany Josh and myself down into the boiler room to get the power back on?”

“Yes, we’d like that very much,” Katrina replied with a smile.

“Stay behind us and stay close,” Josh grinned watching his cousin’s assertiveness get under someone else’s skin for a change.

Continue Reading: "Day 21: Trail of Blood"

Day 17: Ground Zero

The group continued driving, multiple ideas being shouted from every corner of the SUV. Jake drove towards the beach, the one place everyone could agree on. Hoping it was as secluded and empty as they believed with it being mid-fall and too cool for swimming. “Hey, pull over up here,” Josh said as something outside the window caught his attention.

Jake slowly rolled to a stop just on the sand and the four of them exited the vehicle. “What’s up, Josh?” Katrina asked, moving beside her cousin.

“Take a look at that.” He pointed a ways up the beach and they followed with their eyes. Situated along the coast overlooking the breakers was the town’s iconic red and white lighthouse. And like so many ships on approach to Cabot Creek’s shore, it was a sight for sore eyes. “What do you think? One entrance, a great lookout and most have rooms for where the keepers would spend the night.”

Continue Reading: "Day 17: Ground Zero"